Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact

The Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact (AIPP) is a regional organization founded in 1988 by indigenous peoples' movements. AIPP is committed to the cause of promoting and defending indigenous peoples' rights and human rights and articulating issues of relevance to indigenous peoples. At present, AIPP has 47 members from 14 countries in Asia with 14 National Formations, 15 Sub-national Formations and 18 Local Formations. Of this number, 6 are Indigenous Women's Organizations and 4 are Indigenous Youth Organizations.

Our Vision

Indigenous peoples in Asia are fully exercising their rights, distinct cultures and identities, are living with dignity, and enhancing their sustainable management systems on lands, territories and resources for their own future and development in an environment of peace, justice and equality.

Our Mission

AIPP strengthens the solidarity, cooperation and capacities of indigenous peoples in Asia to promote and protect their rights, cultures and identities, and their sustainable resource management systems for their development and self-determination.

Our Goals

To empower Indigenous peoples in Asia to promote and defend their human rights and fundamental freedoms and claim legal recognition to their identities, collective rights under UNDRIP and other international human rights instruments.

To build the broadest solidarity and cooperation of indigenous peoples in Asia to strengthen indigenous movements.

To promote and protect the integrity of the environment and enhance the sustainable resource management systems of indigenous peoples including their traditional knowledge, food security and biodiversity by having full control over their land, territories and resources.

To attain full and effective participation of indigenous peoples, particularly indigenous women and youth at all levels of decision-making.

To strengthen solidarity and cooperation with other social movements towards achieving equality, peace, democracy and justice.

Two-thirds of the approximate 370 million self-identified indigenous peoples are found in Asia, enriching the region’s enormous cultural and linguistic diversity. They have strong cultural attachment to the land, forests and waters and their livelihood depends on the natural resources therein.

This briefing paper is an outcome of the project "Strengthening the Documentation and Advocacy Capacity of Indigenous Women for the Advancement of their Rights and Welfare on Land" implemented in Cambodia, India and Indonesia in 2013-2014.

In Asia “indigenous peoples” as a term is contentious. The fact remains, however, that the individual and collective rights of peoples who self-identify as indigenous peoples are being violated on a daily basis.

This publication is part of the Indigenous Peoples Human Rights Defenders Network (IPHRD Net) efforts to inform actors and stakeholders of the efforts of indigenous women and their communities to address violations of their rights, particularly their collective rights as indigenous peoples. The IPHRD Net is supported by the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR).

This briefing paper is prepared as part of the advocacy of the Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact (AIPP) for the respect, protection and recognition of the human rights of indigenous women. In this paper, we focus on access to justice for indigenous women in Southeast Asia facing development-induced violence.

This briefing paper highlights the issues and concerns of indigenous peoples in relation to climate change adaptation. It also highlights the importance of policy advocacy and the full and effective engagement of indigenous peoples in processes and mechanisms of existing governing bodies at regional and international levels.